What doeas 'Stuka' mean in German?

In German, 'Stuka' is short for Stürzkampfflugzeug meaning 'dive bomber'.

Was the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka effective?

The Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive bomber was an effective bomber when there was air superiority as it was four times more accurate than a conventional bomber. The Stuka was heavy and slow, making it vulnerable to enemy fighters.

Why did the Stuka scream?

The Stuka dive bomber made a screaming noise when it dived thanks to a design addition that funnelled air through small apertures. This was designed as a deliberate terror tactic.

Junkers Ju 87 Timeline

Definition

The Junkers Ju 87 'Stuka' was a two-seater dive-bomber plane used by the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) in various theatres of the Second World War (1939-45). The Stuka, with its distinctive angled wings, excelled when combined with armoured divisions in Germany's blitzkrieg ('lightning war') tactics in the early years of the war, but its inferior speed and manoeuvrability compared to single-seat fighters meant that it was ultimately restricted to hitting static targets where the Luftwaffe enjoyed air superiority.

More about: Junkers Ju 87

Timeline

1934
The German aircraft company Junkers is commissioned to produce a new dive bomber, the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka.
1936 - 1939
Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive bombers are first used in action during the Spanish Civil War.
1938
The Weser plant at Berlin-Tempelhof becomes the main manufacturing site for Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive bombers.
1939 - 1940
Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive bombers are used as part of Germany's blitzkrieg tactics in Western Europe.